Someone spotted a body floating in the water off Brighton Avenue in Ocean Beach shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday, prompting a call to San Diego police just south of Lifeguard Tower 5. Authorities have not released the identity of the person found, and the case has been referred to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, which will determine both the cause of death and the person's identity.
The discovery was reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. In June, an unidentified body was recovered near the Ocean Beach Pier, an incident Hoodline covered in its report on the mystery body found near the pier. Weeks later, on July 22, 26-year-old former college athlete Bryn Waite was found dead floating in shallow water near Scripps Pier in La Jolla, according to SanDiegoVille.
San Diego police and the Medical Examiner's Office are involved in the case, but authorities have not described the investigative procedure. The Medical Examiner's Office is expected to handle identification and determine the cause of death, a process that is now underway in Monday's case.
A Stretch of Coast Known for Rip Currents
Brighton Avenue runs straight down to the sand near Lifeguard Tower 5, close to Avalanche Jetty — a stretch of Ocean Beach coastline. It's not the first time the area has drawn emergency crews; responders recovered a body after the search for missing kayaker Danny had been called off, a case Hoodline reported on as the search for missing kayaker Danny.
The predawn timing of Monday's sighting highlights the challenges of responding to an ocean emergency. San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Services handles ocean water rescues.
Identification Could Rely on Forensic Testing
The methods the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office may use to identify the person found have not been disclosed. Whether additional identification methods will be needed in Monday's case remains unknown, as authorities have not yet released any information about who was found or how they died.
Ocean Beach's currents have a long and grim history. A single mass rip current event on May 5, 1918, drowned 13 swimmers off Ocean Beach in one day, a tragedy that led directly to the creation of San Diego's first municipal lifeguard service, according to Voice of San Diego. More than a century later, the risks of unguarded water remain a concern.
For now, the identity of the person found off Brighton Avenue and the circumstances surrounding their death remain unknown, pending the Medical Examiner's autopsy findings. San Diego police have not said whether Homicide detectives will need to get involved.
